Card-separating device.



No. 646,|57. Patented Mar. 27, I900. E. E. PROPER. CARD SEPARATINGDEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMBERSON E. PROPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARD-SEPARATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,157, dated March27, 1900.

Application filed December 29, 1898. Serial No. 700,679. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMBERSON E. PROPER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Card-Separating Devices, of which the followingisa specification;

My invention consists of a spring designed to facilitate the consultingof index cards when filed in boxes or cases, which spring being attachedto each card will push them apart, thus enabling the person to consultthe cards, to easily and quickly turn them over, and at the same timepermit the cards to be filed in practically the same space that would berequired without the spring attached. To attain this object, I havedevised a spring illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my appliance unattached. Inthis figure my appliance is shown as consisting of a narrow' and thinstrip, which may be made of ,any spring material, preferably brass, suchstrip being cut, bent, and shaped so as to form a tongue z,slightlybent, a head It, broader than the tongue and constituting a basetherefor, and two or more prongs or points 10 p p, outwardly projectingat right angles to the plane of the head and intended to be used forclamping or holding the appliance to an index-card.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section wherein my appliance is shown asattached to an indeX-card C, the prongs p p 19 being inserted throughthe material of the card 0 and clamped upon the other side thereof insuch manner as to hold the head h of the appliance firmly andpermanently against the surface of the card 0.

Fig. 3 represents a full-face or perpendicular View of my appliance A asattached to an index-card O. The appliance can be attached at anydesired spot upon either face of the card, although the place indicatedis found to be satisfactory in practice.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a filing box or case B, containing cards 0G O, to which are attached my appliances A A A, showing the use andoperation of my device in separating the cards. I

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I have found that the appliance works well when used with index cards ofthe usual thickness if the total length of the head h and the tongue tis about one inch, the tongue t being about three-fourths of an inch inlength and one-sixteenth of an inch in width and the head being aboutthree-sixteenths of an inch in width; but these proportions may bevaried as circumstances indicate.

This appliance when attached as indicated works substantially in thefollowing manner:

The spring-tongue t is so shaped as to project slightly outward from theface of the card 0, and it thrusts against the card coming in contactwith said spring t, thus causing a separation of the cards. The strengthof this spring 25 is such as to resist the Weight of one or two or threecards and to slightly separate the same; but the weight of several cardsor the pressure of the hands willdepress or fiatten the spring t againstthe surface of the card 0 to which it is attached.

The material from which this device is made should be so thin as to addvery little to the thickness of the card, and if sufficient pressure isused in clamping it to the card the spring can be depressed into thecard, so as to be perfectly'fiush with its surface.

I am aware that a device to accomplish the objects specified above maybe made in a wide variety of forms and from a wide variety of.materials, and therefore I claim as 'my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent In card indexes or files, the combination of an indexor reference card, and an attached projecting and depressible spring,made in any form and of any substance or material having elastic orresilient properties, and together operating to separate such card froman adjoining card, when used in filing cabinets, cases or drawers, allsubstantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

Signed at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, this 3d day of December, A. D. 1898.

EMBERSON E. PROPER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. LINTON, KATHERINE M. L. BRASHER.

